The Browns have plenty of attention right now after beating the Baltimore Ravens and jumping out to a 2-0 mark in the division, but one of the real drivers of that success is getting overlooked.
Quincy Williams has been that kind of player all season.
Cleveland’s offense has been a mixed bag. The plan was supposed to feature a short passing attack, a heavy dose of tight ends, and a run game that would set the tone.
Instead, the run game has barely shown up, the tight ends haven’t given much as blockers, and the offensive line has already taken some hits. The defense, though, has carried a very different look.
That side of the ball has stayed on the same track after Jim Schwartz’s tenure, even after the Browns moved on from him and brought in Mike Rutenberg to run the unit. There were immediate questions around the hire, especially because Rutenberg had never worked with or under Schwartz. Todd Monken said early on that the defense would keep following the path Schwartz built, and that has held true.
One of Rutenberg’s first moves was to ask GM Andrew Berry to reach out to Williams’ agent. Rutenberg knew the linebacker from four seasons with the New York Jets, and Williams was available after part of 2025 was spent on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.
That move has paid off in a big way.
Through six games, Williams has 40 total tackles, including an 11-tackle outing against the Jets in Week 5. He has never been known as a big sack producer, but he did get one this year and now has 13.5 sacks across eight seasons. He and Carson Schwesinger have been playing at a Pro Bowl level, even if Schwesinger gets most of the headlines after being named the “NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year” following his rookie season.
Williams, though, has been every bit as important. He’s the Browns’ other linebacker in name only.
Schwesinger brings the instincts and the motor, while Williams adds the veteran presence, the traffic control before the snap, and the voice that keeps everyone lined up. He isn’t wearing the green dot, but he is still barking out instructions.
Together, the two linebackers have piled up 96 total tackles. In every game this season, one of them has led the Browns in tackles, and in three games they finished 1-2 on the team in that category.
Williams has also flashed the kind of playmaking that shows why Berry took the shot on him. PFF had him ranked as the No. 3 linebacker before the Ravens game, and after that performance Schwesinger moved to No.
- Against the Jets, Williams was outstanding, posting a 95.7 PFF grade.
He forced a fumble from TE Kenyan Sadiq in the third quarter when New York was at the 11-yard line, and Ronnie Hickman recovered it. Williams also led the Browns with 11 tackles in that game and now leads the league in forced fumbles with three, all against the Jets.
His matchup with Baltimore was just as revealing. Early in the first quarter, Tyler Huntley tossed a short pass to Derrick Henry on first-and-15, but Williams was already closing and limited it to a two-yard gain.
In the second quarter, a third-and-eight throw to Zay Flowers looked like it could turn into something bigger, but Williams helped force a five-yard gain and a punt. Then, just before halftime, Williams and Schwesinger combined to stop Henry for no gain, and with 2:13 left before the half, Williams blitzed and brought Huntley down for a sack.
The speed is real - he ran 4.59 - and so is the range. He can run sideline to sideline, blitz when asked, and he brings the kind of constant chatter that shows up before the snap and after it. Cleveland signed him to a two-year deal worth $13 million, and that already looks like a steal.
Williams has done this before, too. In his third NFL season, he had 110 tackles.
After that came seasons of 106, 139 and 116 tackles, and even in a year that included multiple missed games, he still posted 83. He earned First Team All-Pro honors in 2023 after finishing with 139 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 10 batted passes.
For a Browns defense that is already operating at a high level, Williams has become a difference-maker who keeps showing up, even when he’s not the one getting the most attention.
In Other News...
Browns Suddenly Have A Defensive Concern Before Titans Week 7 Test
A midweek injury report can tell you a lot about where a team stands heading into Sunday, and the Browns had a few names missing when they opened practice Wednesday for their Week 7 meeting with the Titans. Grant Delpit was among the absences after sustaining a concussion in the previous game, while Kalia Davis, Mike Hall Jr., Elgton Jenkins, Teven Jenkins and Carson Schwesinger also were sidelined as Cleveland started to sort through its health issues on defense and along the front.
There was at least some good news mixed in, with Mason Graham and Quinshon Judkins back on the field and potentially available this week. Still, Delpits situation is the one to monitor most closely for Cleveland, since his availability could shape how the Browns handle a defense that has already been forced to navigate injuries, and several of the other sidelined players have shown they can push through pain and suit up if needed. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Enter A Stretch That Could Define Their Playoff Push
The Browns are heading into a tricky part of the schedule with Sundays trip to face the Titans kicking off three straight road games. Cleveland has not been nearly as steady away from home as it has been in other settings, and with a 1-2 road record so far, this stretch is going to tell a lot about how real the teams playoff push is. For a roster trying to stay in the mix, these are the kinds of weeks that can quietly shape an entire season.
There is also a longer-term layer to this run, because the Browns are getting closer to the point where they have to sort through their quarterback plans for 2026. Those decisions are not the immediate headline, but they hover over everything as Cleveland tries to balance the present with what comes next. A difficult road swing can sharpen those conversations quickly, especially if the team needs to prove it can travel well enough to keep its postseason hopes alive. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Rookie Tackle Is Already Easing One Big Cleveland Fear
Spencer Fano has quietly become one of the more encouraging early developments on Clevelands offensive line. The rookie tackle has already started six games, settled in at left tackle and looked like a player the Browns can trust in front of Deshaun Watson, which matters a great deal for a team that has spent plenty of time worrying about that spot.
The performance has not been flawless, but it has been steady enough to ease one of the biggest fears around the offense. Pro Football Focus has Fano at a 69.3 overall grade, and he has allowed 12 pressures through those six games, numbers that suggest the Browns may have found help where they needed it most while he continues to gain experience. [Read more 🡒]